Cult is a strong word, but recently I had a conversation with someone about how similar successful musicians are to cult leaders.
They are extremely charismatic folk who rely on charm to convince people to give them money to pursue their bohemian, or capitalistic, adventures. Successful artists will leverage a clear set of ideologies to attract a flock and build their community. High key fans are really weirdly attached to the people they follow.
I’m not saying that musicians need to start cults.
However musicians that have the charisma of a cult leader are certainly going farther.
Interesting music is relative to the context it’s bundled in
Often people feel they make the best art but for whatever reason no one cares.
One of the biggest reasons people don’t care is that the art is packaged in something that doesn’t make sense. Imagine me rapping like a gangster, that’d be weird as fuck. I could probably write some fire gangster shit, but it’d be so disingenuous of me to present myself in that way.
When people encounter your brand, they need to see what you have to offer.
Most times they hear the song but there’s no hook to keep them entertained.
Chances are that will take a lot of time and consistency.
You need an irrational belief you are next level and the means to make others feel like they are next level
If you watch people perform live, successful artists spend a lot of time encouraging their fans to be greater.
As artists we are basically opium for the masses. Whatever community you are tapping into, you become a source of inspiration for something more. People should either want to be you, or want to fuck you, or you aren’t really doing it right.
Obviously there are levels of success, but even in the micro sense, you’re supposed to be the cool kid on campus, living some surreal reality.
This can either be based on how you live or what you present to the world, and when you achieve that, you are onto something.
Your art then becomes a reflection of what you are manifesting.
A clear belief system plus wild confidence plus choosing to do hard things builds followers
Your fans are going to fit a certain profile of a person and it’s on you to figure it out.
Once you know who’s listening you can make music based on what you think matters, but aimed at a broader audience. I often think about how Flacko Bayo asks, “who is actually going to say that line out loud?” When you say something that resonates with people, they will.
To find the sweet spot of authenticity and being a whore you need to know what you want to say and who you will say it too.
Then have the confidence to accept that you are the shit, and if they believe it too, you get to make more surreal art than you did before.
Also this isn’t me telling you to go be a narcissist, it’s to find value to offer to people.
Live Long and Prosper Everyone
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